Well, sorry for the huge delay on posts here, this blog has been harder to write than I had imagined. There is so much that has happened, so many experiences, I can´t imagine putting them all into one place. And sadly, I don´t even think I could retell them all, either. Some things I think you just don´t understand if you weren´t there, or if you´ve never been to Europe... it´s so different, the way of life and doing everything is different, you almost just have to live it for a while to understand it. I also think that I will probably be going through some reverse culture shock, coming back to America. Although I will be so glad to be home, I do really like some things about Europe and Spain. Here are some things that I will miss:
- In Spain they seem to take things easier, and go with the flow of life. They walk slower, take longer to eat, and just go with the flow.
- Along the same lines, they make some things easier. Their traffic patterns are not so structured, but they work well. It just goes the way you would naturally tend to go, without so many rules to follow (or break). It may look a little disorganized at first, but it works for them.
- I´ve said it before, but I really love their eating and sleeping schedule. Siestas and eating later at night seem natural, of course with a few snacks in between.
- The drinking is toned down too. They don´t card you, and it´s not such a big deal to drink here. Thus not every kid tries to get drunk every weekend, and it makes drinking just a way to socialize, not get wasted.
- I will miss being waited on at home. Our Spanish mom, Beatriz, cooks every meal for us, puts it on our plates and sets it in front of us, and then won´t let us help clear the table afterwards. She also cleans the whole house, including our bedroom, and washes our clothes. I really got used to that, it´s going to be hard to adjust to doing that all myself again.
- I also will miss Beatriz´s personality. She is so cute and funny, and tries really hard to help us with everything we do- figuring out maps, answering questions about the culture, anything.
- I will also miss the city of Valencia, especially the River Park. They have a park that runs through the entire city that actually used to be a river. A long time ago, the river flooded the whole city of Valencia, so they rerouted it and made the old riverbed into an amazing park. It is so beautiful, with great facilities for everyone. Christina and I either ran/walked in it or walked by it every day. Other things I´ll miss about Valencia are the great cathedrals, old buildings, and authentic little markets and shops and restaurants.
I´m sure there´s more to talk about, especially since I haven´t written about my trip to Barcelona, but for now I will just post the link to pictures from it, and most of the comments should tell the story.
Barcelona pictures: http://iastate.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2038911&l=b70ac&id=62103060
10 more days until I get home! I can´t wait!
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